Trousers hangers



TROUSERS HAN GERS Sylvester J. Rowe, Chicago, Ill. Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,503 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-36) This invention relates to an improved trousers hanger.

Not a ffew trousers hangers heretofore have been either somewhat unhandy to apply, or else have been more or less diicult to detach, with the result that, in the first instance, quite some care is required to have a pair of trousers hang evenly and straight from the hanger, while, in the latter instance, considerable force is required to release the wedged grip of the hanger on the trousers.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hanger which may be easily and quickly applied to a pair of trousers, and as easily and quickly detached therefrom, and wherein, within limits, compensation will automatically be made fordiferences in thickness in the cloth of the legs of different trousers.

Another object o'f the invention is to provide a hanger wherein the trousers will be firmly gripped by the hanger, so that the trousers may hang even and straight from the hanger.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a hanger embodying a body bar, a coacting clamping bar hinged near the heel end thereof to the body bar, and a catch adapted to secure lthe free end of the clamping bar to the body bar when the clamping bar is closed for gripping the legs of a pair of trousers between the bars, and wherein the clamping bar may be released to free the legs of the trousers merely by pressing `against the heel end of said clamping bar.

Other and incidental objects will appear during the course of the following description of the invention, and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved trousers hanger. i t

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the hanger, and showing the normal position of the clamping bar of the device with respect to the body bar thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and showing inward pressure being applied to the heel end of the clamping bar.

Figure 4`i s aV longitudinal section on the line 4;-4 of FigureZ.'

Figure 5 is a detail elevation looking at the inner side of the clamping bar of the device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section particularly showing one of the hinge links employed.

Figure 7 is anenlarged transverse section on the line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-3 of Figure 2.. Y

. vIn carrying the invention into effect, l employ a body bar 10 yof'appropriate width and length, and risingfrom the'upper edge of said bar is a hook 11 adapted to engage over the cross pole or the like of a clothes lcloset for suspendingthehanaerirom ,saidpole The bari '1o inay be of wood or other approved material, and, in the present instance, I have shown the hook 11 as being integral with said bar, although, however, the hook may be of metal, if so desired, and suitably attached to the body bar.

nited States Patent ice As best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, the bar 10 is slotted rnedially to define preferably circular webs 12, and adhesively or otherwise secured to said webs as well as atv points near the ends of the bar are gripping pads 13, the use of ive of said pads being shown. The pads 13 may be of rubber and are preferably ridged or otherwise roughened at their front sides 'to provide effective gripping surfaces.

Cooperating with the body bar 10 is a clamping bar 14 which, like the body bar, may be of wood or other approved material, but is somewhat longer as well as slightly narrower than the body bar. As will be observed, the heel end 15 of the clamping bar overhangs the rear end of the body bar. At points opposite the pads 13 of thebody bar, the clamping bar 14 is preferably provided with circular openings 16 of less diameter than said pads, and is slotted rnedially between said openings to define s-ide strips 17. These strips extend across the upper and lower portions only of the front faces of said pads.

Formed through the body bar 10 near its rear end are parallel longitudinal slots 18 connected by a medial cross slot 19, the aperture made by these slots being of H-shape, and formed in the inner side of the clamping bar 14 near the heel end 15 thereof are parallel grooves 2() which overlie the slots 18 and are somewhat longer than the slots 18. Extending between the grooves 2d, as seen at the right of Figure 5 of the drawings, is a medial cross groove 21, so that the grooves 20 and 21, like the slots 18 and 19, are H-shape in pattern.

In conjunction with the slots 1S and grooves 20, l employ a pair of more or less arcuate hinge links 22 which are preferably of metal and are iiat. As best seen in Figure 6 of the drawings, these links have what may be designated as short inner ends which are received in the slots Y18 o'f the body bar 10, and somewhat longer outer ends which are received in the grooves 20 of the clamping bar 14, and extending -from the convex edges of said links near the inner ends thereof `are stop lugs 23.

Connecting the inner ends of the links 22 with the` body bar 10 is a transverse hinge pin 24 which extends through theslot 19 of said bar, and surrounding the pin within said slot is a spring 25 pressing the inner ends of the links apart tofrictionally coact with the outer longitudinal sidewalls of the slots 18. Connecting the outer ends of the links 22 with the clamping bar 14 is a transverse hingepin 26 which extends through the groove 2l of said bar, and surrounding-the pin within said groove is a spring 27 pressing the outer ends of the links apart to frictionally coaet with the outer longitudinal side walls of the, grooves 20. As will be perceived, the frictional drag Vat the inner ends of the links 22 created by the spring 25 will in some degree resist the pivotal movement of the links relative to the body bar 1d, while the frictional drag at the outer ends of the links created by the spring 2'7 willV in somehdegree resist the pivotal movement of the clamping bar 14 relative to said links. Furthermore, the springs 25 and 27 will cooperate to eliminate looseness between the parts `and afford stability to the mounting of the clamping bar 14. y

Formed in the front side ofthe body bar 16 at its forward end, rnedially thereof, is a longitudinal recess 28, and extending transversely across the inner end portion of said recess'is a catch plate 29 provided at its extremities with'suitable Vspurs 30 which, as seen in Figure 8 of the drawings, arel sunk into the body bar for securing the catch ,plate in position. v

',Atit'snforward end, the clamping bar 14 is provided with a medial, longitudinal slot 31, and extending transversely of said slot is a hinge pin 32. Pivoted at one end upon the pin 32 to swing in the slot 31 is an angleshaped catch 33, the free end of which extends through the clamping bar 14 and is provided with a bill 34 to engage beneath the catch plate 29 for securing the clamping bar in closed position. Extending transversely of the slot 31 beneath the inner end portion of the catch 33 isla stop pin 35 disposed to'limit'the ctchin its inward swinging movement,

It is now to be noted that when the clamping bar 14- is closed, the pivotal center `26 of said -bar will, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3 ofthe drawings, lie well forward of the -pivotal center 24 of the hinge "links 22. 'Consequently, inward pressure on-the heel end 1'5of the clamping bar will move the center 26 inward toward the body bar and rock the links 22 forwardly on the'center 24. 'Forward rocking movement'of the links 22 will, of course, move the center 26 forwardly Vin an arc, with the result that the clamping bar l14 will, 'in'turn, shift the center 32 of the catch 33 forwardly, and as -saidcatch will be limited by the pin 35 against lincreased inward pivotal movement, the catch will remain pivotally stationary and will accordingly be shifted `forwardly with the center 32 until the bill 34 of the catch'clears the catch plate 29 and frees the forward end of the'clarnpin'g bar 14. The clamping bar is thus not `only mounted yby the hinge links 33 for pivotal movementfthereon, but is 'also mounted by said links to float longitudinally relative to the body bar 10.

At the instant the forward end of the `clamping bar 14 is freed by the catch 33, continued inward pressure on the heel end 15 of the bar will, as best brought out in Figure 6 of the drawings, not only cause the bar to swing on the center 26 and ily open, but, Vsince `the forward end of the bar is free, also cause the hinge links 22 to rock rearwardly on the center 24 to permit correspondingly increased opening movement-of the clamping bar -until the stop lugs 23 ofthe -links engage 'the front face of the body bar lil at the rear ends of the slots 18 and limit the links in their rearward movement. VAs will be noted, the rear end of the body bar is `rounded, while the heel end of the clamping bar is recessed at `its inner side to provide ample clearance.

In use, the legs of a -pair of trousers are 'draped over the clamping bar 14 or, if preferred, over the body bar 10, so that, in either instance, the bar chosen extends immediately below the cuffs of the legs of the Uousers, when the clamping bar is closed and'secured by the catch 33. The side strips 17 of the clamping bar will thus be caused to flex the cloth of the legs Yof the trousers across the pads 13 and grip the trousers legs at transversely spaced points between the body bar Vand the clamping bar, The trousers may thus be easily arranged to hang straight, suspended by the hanger without likelihood 0f slipping, while, as previously explained, the hanger may be easily and quickly detached merely by pressing the rear lend of the body bar 10 andthe heel end 15 of the clamping bar 14 toward each other between the thumb and vfinger of one hand.

The thickness of the cloth of the legs `of `different trousers will, of course, vary, so that the thickness of the bulk to be accommodated between the body bar 10 and the clamping bar 14 will vary correspondingly. However, in this connection, it is to be noted that although the forward end of the clamping bar 14 will, when the ba'r is closed, be held by the catch 33, still, the forward end of the clamping bar may tilt slightly to permit the rear end of the clamping bar to rock 'on the center 26 and spread slightly away from the body bar when pried outwardly by the thick cloth of the legs of a pair 'of trousers. Thus, the legs of the trousers may be arranged to hang from near the rear ends of said bars, rather than in a position centered with respect thereto, when the `thickness of the cloth of the legs will, when the clamping bar is closed, be automatically accommodated without likelihood of injury to the hanger.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A trousers hanger including a body bar, curved hinge links pivotally connected at their inner ends to the rear end portion of the body bar to rock inwardly and outwardly thereon and provided with stop means disposed to engage the body bar for limiting said hinge links in their outward movement, l'a clamping bar normally closed to overlie the body bar cooperating therewith and pivotally connected at its rear end portion to the outer ends of saidlink's, the pivotal center of the closed clamping bar at the outer ends of said links being disposed forwardly of the pivotal center 'at the inner ends of the links and said links being movable to float the closed clamping bar longitudinally forward when the pivotal center of the closed clamping bar at the outer ends of the links is ymanually forced toward the plane of the body bar, means pressing the inner ends of the links apart to frictionally coact with the body bar, means pressing the outer ends of the links apart to frictionally coact with the clamping bar, and means carried by the forward end portion of the clamping bar to engage with the forward end portion of the body bar for normally securing the clamping bar closed and movable by forward floating movement of the clamping bar to vrelease the clamping bar for pivotal movement away from the body bar to open position, and means secured to one of said bars for suspending the trousers hanger from a support.

2. A trousers hanger including a body bar, a hinge pin carried by the rear end portion of said bar, spaced hinge links pivoted at their inner ends upon said pin to 4rock inwardly and outwardly thereon with respect to the body bar and provided with stop lugs disposed to engage the body bar for limiting the links in their outward movement, a spring surrounding saidpin and pressing the inner ends of said links apart to frictionally coact with vthe body bar, a clamping bar normally closed to overlie the body bar cooperating therewith, a hinge pin carried by the rear end portion'of said-clamping bar'and having the outer ends of said -links pivoted thereon, a Aspring surrounding thehinge pin of the clamping bar and pressing the outer ends of said links apart to frictionally coact with the clamping bar, said links being movable to lloat the closed vclamping bar longitudinally forward when 'the pivotal center of the links at the hinge pin of the closed clamping bar is manually forced toward the plane of the body bar, a catch plate carried by the forward end yportion of the body bar, an angle-shaped catch pivotally connected at one end to the forward end portion ofthe clamping bar and disposed to engage at 4its free end with said catch plate for normally securing the clamping bar closed, anda stop pin carried by the clamping 4bar and disposed to limit the catch in its inward pivotal movement beyond the position thereof normally engaged with said catch plate, said catch 'being -movable by forward lioating movement of said clamping bar to dsengage said catch plate and release the'clamping bar for :pivotal movement away from the body barvto open position, and means secured to one of said bars for suspending the trousers hanger from a support.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,135,846 Roberti Nov. '8, 1938 2,394,879 lsnook Feb. 12, 1945 2,605,031 Pooley July 29, 1952 VFoRnrGisi PATENTS 658,644 v'Gr =.a1:1ari'atin oct. 10, 19'5-1 

